Sight



Search Boom March 16, 1937. R J STEWART 2,073,856

SIGHT 7" V a /7 4 o /6 /7 IN VVVV OR eeowiiimcn \NSli-iUMEMS.

Patented Mar. 16, 1937 UNITED STATES 593ml] lioom PATENT OFFICE SIGHT James S. Stewart, Swampscott, Mass., assignor to The Lyman Gun Sight Corporation, Middlefield, C0nn., a corporation of Connecticut Application April 10, 1935, Serial No. 15,581

7 Claims.

My invention relates to a sight, and more especially to a front sight of the interchangeable insert type wherein an insert or reticule is positioned within a hood in such manner that it may be readily removed when it is desired to substitute another insert.

It has heretofore been proposed to make use of inserts having circular peripheral edges which closely fit the cylindrical bore of a hood, and thus centralize the sighting apertures of the inserts, rotational movement of the inserts being prevented by lateral projections on the inserts, which engage longitudinally directed faces on the hood. The inserts, of these prior forms of front sights, have generally been held within the hoods by being clamped between a shoulder, within the hood, and a threaded plug, mounted in the hood and forcing the inserts against the shoulder. One of the principal objects of the present invention is to bring about a form of sight in which the use of threaded plugs, or other movable or detachable parts for holding the inserts within the hood, is eliminated.

A more specific object of the invention is to bring about a form of sight of the interchangeable insert type in which the inserts may be inserted and removed without the use of tools.

A feature of the invention resides in a form of hood and insert therefor in which there are no projecting parts on the insert extending beyond the hood surface.

It is considered desirable, in sights intended for use in target shooting, to position the sighting part of the insert within the hood in as deep a shade as possible and another object of the invention is to prevent, substantially if not entirely, the entrance of light into a hooded sight of the above character, except through the ends thereof.

To these and other ends, the invention consists in the novel features and combinations of parts to be hereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a sight according to the invention, on an enlarged scale;

Fig. 2 is an end view of the sight shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken along line 33 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is an end view of one form of insert suitable for use in connection with the invention;

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 3 but showing the insert in the position it occupies at the beginning of the movement of insertion;

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 4 but showing an insert having a different type of sighting member;

Fig. '7 is a view similar to Fig. 4 but showing a modification, and

Fig. 8 is a view similar to Fig. 4 but showing another modification.

Referring now to the drawing in which I have illustrated my invention by showing a preferred embodiment of the same, the reference numeral I 0 indicates, in general, the improved sight which includes a hood II, and an insert I2. The hood II, in this instance, takes the form of a hollow cylinder having a bore I3, of circular cross-section, a vertical transverse opening or slot I4, and a dove-tail base I5, the particular type of base forming no part of the present invention. The bottom of slot I4 is defined by the flat horizontal faces I6 and I7, which are spaced a substantial distance above the center line or axis of hood II.

The insert I2, mounted within the hood, as shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3, is of a thickness to closely fit the slot I4, and consists of a circular edge portion I8, concentric with respect to sighting aperture I9 and of the same radius as the bore I3 of the hood. the circular edge portion I8 extending circumferentially a distance substantially greater than a semi-circle and, in the instance shown, contacting with the lower part of bore I3, throughout an arc of more than 180 and extending from the inner end 20, of hood face I6, to the inner end 2|, of hood face I1, and terminating at laterally outwardly directed horizontal shoulders 22 and 23, which contact with faces I6 and ll, of the hood. Above the shoulders 22 and 23 the insert is provided with a peripheral edge of the same radius as the outer surface of the hood, the peripheral edge 24, of the insert, being flush with the outer surface of the hood, when mounted therein. The contact of insert edge I8, with the bore I3, centralizes the sighting aperture I9, in the hood, the contact between the shoulders 22 and 23, and hood faces I6 and I1, preventing rotational displacement of the insert and insuring that the post 25, of the insert, will be vertical.

Due to the reason that the arcuate length of edge I8 is greater than that of a semi-circle of equal radius, the distance between the inner ends 20 and 2I, of hood faces I 6 and I1, is substantially less than the diameter of the insert across the edge I8, as for example, between the points 26 and 21. For this reason upward movement of the insert out of slot I4 is opposed by contact of the inwardly curving wall of the hood above the center line with the edge I8, of the insert, above points 26 and 21.

The insert I2 is made out of resilient material, preferably st el and in actual practice will be "stamped out of sheet material, the stamping process removing a substantially ring-like piece of the material in the space 28, to form the sighting aperture ring 29 and a ring-like outer body 30, the inner edge 3|, of the latter being concentrio with the edge l8. The ring-like outer body 30 is resilient and is compressed inwardly to remove the insert, the outer end of shoulder being cut away, as at 32, to permit the insertion of the corner 33, of another insert, to be inserted thereunder for lifting or prying movement. When sufficient lifting pressure is applied to the insert that the wall of the hood, above the center line may compress the ring-like body 30, the insert may be sprung upwardly out of the hood. The new insert is placed in the hood in a reverse manner, that is to say, it is placed in the position shown in Fig. 5, the edge l8, of the insert, contacting with the inner ends 2|] and 2|, of hood faces l6 and I1, pressure on the upper end of the insert causing the ends 20 and 2| to spring the ring-like body 30 inwardly, until it can pass the edges 20 and 2|, whereupon the insert snaps downwardly into the hood, the body 30 expanding to bring the edge It into contact with the hood bore l3.

In practice the shooter is supplied with a number of inserts having different sizes of apertures or these may take the form of the insert 34, of Fig. 6, in which a post 35 replaces the aperture l9, each insert, except for the sighting portion, having the same form and being interchangeable in the hood. It will be noted that the edge 24 of the insert does not extend beyond the outer surface of the hood so that there are no projecting parts apt to catch on the lining of a gun case or the like. For this reason, as well as for the reason that the slot I4 is very narrow, the chance of pressure being exerted on the insert of an amount and in the proper direction to force the insert out of the hood, is extremely remote. It will be further noted that the insert closes the slot I4 so that no light may pass through the slot into the hood.

In Fig. '7, I have shown a modification of the insert in which the upper end of the latter is cut away, as at 36, to give added resiliency to the body 30, and in the form shown in Fig. 8 this has been carried to the extent of making the insert in the form of a split ring, the insert 31 having a ring-like body 38, cut away above the aperture ring 39, to form a gap 40, the adjacent ends 4| and 42, of the body 38, moving into and closing the gap during the compression of the insert as the latter is inserted or removed. With this form it will be found possible to locate the shoulders 43 and 44 at a greater distance above the center line of the hood and insert, than is possible with the form shown in Fig. 4.

While I have shown and described a preferred embodiment of my invention, it will be understood that it is not to be limited to the details shown, but is capable of modification and variation within the spirit of the invention and the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. A front sight comprising, a hood having a cylindrical bore and a vertical transverse slot, and an insert mounted in the slot and having a circular edge portion extending downwardly into and fitting the bore and in continuous contact therewith below the slot circumferentially of the bore a distance greater than 180.

2. front sight comprising, a hood having a cylindrical bore and a vertical slot extending downwardly into the hood, the slot where it intersects the hood walls forming oppositely disposed horizontal faces each of which is above the longitudinal axis of the hood, and a sight insert mounted in the slot, said insert having a circular edge portion contacting with the lower part of the hood bore from one of the slot faces to the other and shoulders engaging the slot faces.

3. A front sight comprising, a hood having an axially directed opening extending from end to end and an opening extending downwardly into the first opening, and an insert, said insert including a resilient compressible body which may be assembled into the hood through the downwardly extending opening, the greatest width of the downwardly extending hood opening being less than the width of the insert body whereby the latter is compressed to pass through the downwardly extending opening, the axially directed opening below the bottom of the downwardly extending opening being shaped to permit expansion of the insert body.

4. A front sight comprising, a hood having a cylindrical bore and a slot extending downwardly into the upper part of the hood and intersecting the bore at right angles, the slot forming faces in the hood wall, the hood faces being above the axis of the bore, and a sight insert mounted in the slot and extending downwardly into the bore, said insert having a resilient body contacting with the bore below the faces circumferentially thereof through an are greater than 180, and means on the insert contacting with the hood faces to prevent rotational displacement of the insert in the hood.

5. A front sight comprising, a hood having a cylindrical bore and a slot in the upper part of the hood intersecting the bore at right angles and terminating in oppositely disposed horizontal faces in the hood wall which are above the bore axis, and a sight insert mounted in the slot and extending downwardly into the bore, said insert having a resilient body, the resilient body having a circular edge portion below the faces which contacts with the wall of the bore below the faces circumferentially from one face to the other, and said body having an edge portion above said faces which is flush with the exterior of the hood.

6. A front sight comprising a hood having a cylindrical bore and a slot extending downwardly into the upper part of the hood and intersecting the bore at right angles, the slot forming faces in the hood wall, the hood faces being above the longitudinal axis of the bore, and a sight insert mounted in the slot and extending downwardly into the bore, said insert having a resilient body contacting with the wall of the bore below the faces circumferentially thereof through an are greater than 180 and shoulders formed on the insert and contacting with the hood faces, one of the shoulders being cut away to permit the insertion of a suitable instrument between the shoulder and adjacent face for prying the insert out of the hood.

7. A front sight for a gun comprising, a hood having a cylindrical bore the axis of which is longitudinally of the gun and a vertical transverse slot extending downwardly into the hood, the bottom edges of the slot being above said longitudinal axis of the bore, and a. sight insert mounted in the hood in the slot, said insert including a circular edge portion extending through more than 180 and fitting the bore circumferentially thereof between the bottom edges of the slot, and shoulders on the insert engaging the bottom edges of the slot.

JAMES S. STEWART. 

